Latest related coverage

Other related coverage

A goosepimply, teeth-chattering Sydney has another reason to
shake its collective head at the weather gods today.

This morning's recorded low temperature of 8.3 degrees is the
coldest November minimum in more than a century.

Not since 1905 has a November day experienced such chill.

But don't put away the swimming cossies just yet, says bureau
forecaster Chris Webb, because we're in for a fine and sunny
weekend with temperatures in the high 20s.

Sydney received a little rain overnight, "far from
record-breaking stuff", Mr Webb said, and it fell mostly along the
coast.

But the cold spell is certain to make today one of the coldest
November days in history.

"We're pushing for a maximum of 15 degrees. The lowest maximum
temperature in November was 12.6 ... 15 degrees has only happened a
handful of times since records have been kept," Mr Webb said.

"The average is 23.6 degrees maximum in November so you get a
fair idea of how cold it is, and the wind chill as we speak is
about 2 degrees."

"It will feel pretty cold for much of tomorrow, particularly
along the coastal fringe, [but we can expect sunshine too]," Mr
Webb said.

Another of the Bureau's forecasters, Michael Logan, said: "Everyone
will feel it; it is spectacularly cold.

"And with the wind chill, once you factor that in, people would
have felt like it was 2 or 3 degrees this morning."

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Jeff Callaghan said the
"very unusual" weather had been caused by a cold front which had
travelled up from Antarctica.

"The storms formed ahead of the cold front and now the cold
front's coming through with very, very cold air," Mr Callaghan
said.

"It happens, but not very frequently. The atmosphere keeps on
repeating itself for extreme events every 50 or 100 years or
so."

Mr Callaghan said residents probably couldn't expect a repeat
for another 50 years.

Sydney recorded its low of 8.3C at about 5.45am (AEDT).

Meanwhile, about 160 firefighters are trying to control blazes
in the Blue Mountains which have burnt out 1600 hectares of
bushland since Monday.

They are believed to have been started by lightning strikes.

On the Sunshine Coast a large bushfire fanned by strong, dry
winds forced the evacuation of a primary school today.

Traffic disruptions

The weather has also caused disruptions on Sydney's roads, with the
Westlink M7 and M2 backed up near Baulkham Hills due to rain, an
accident on Heathcote Road at Lucas Heights causing delays, some
congestion on the northern beaches as well as the continued closure
of the Darling Causeway between Mount Victoria and Bell in the Blue
Mountains.

The Cahill Expressway is also backed up due to the closure of a
southbound land after a truck struck some lighting near the
entrance to the Eastern Distributor.

Saturday and Sunday will be fine and sunny, with temperatures
ranging from 25 to 27 degrees. Just 48 hours away.